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Back The Village Save as PDF
Chapters (62)
  1. TITLE PAGE
  2. COPYRIGHT PAGE
  3. DEDICATION
  4. CONTENTS
  5. START READING
  6. PROLOGUE
  7. CHAPTER ONE
  8. CHAPTER TWO
  9. CHAPTER THREE
  10. CHAPTER FOUR
  11. CHAPTER FIVE
  12. CHAPTER SIX
  13. CHAPTER SEVEN
  14. CHAPTER EIGHT
  15. CHAPTER NINE
  16. CHAPTER TEN
  17. CHAPTER ELEVEN
  18. CHAPTER TWELVE
  19. CHAPTER THIRTEEN
  20. CHAPTER FOURTEEN
  21. CHAPTER FIFTEEN
  22. CHAPTER SIXTEEN
  23. CHAPTER SEVENTEEN
  24. CHAPTER EIGHTEEN
  25. CHAPTER NINETEEN
  26. CHAPTER TWENTY
  27. CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE
  28. CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO
  29. CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE
  30. CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR
  31. CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE
  32. CHAPTER TWENTY-SIX
  33. CHAPTER TWENTY-SEVEN
  34. CHAPTER TWENTY-EIGHT
  35. CHAPTER TWENTY-NINE
  36. CHAPTER THIRTY
  37. CHAPTER THIRTY-ONE
  38. CHAPTER THIRTY-TWO
  39. CHAPTER THIRTY-THREE
  40. CHAPTER THIRTY-FOUR
  41. CHAPTER THIRTY-FIVE
  42. CHAPTER THIRTY-SIX
  43. CHAPTER THIRTY-SEVEN
  44. CHAPTER THIRTY-EIGHT
  45. CHAPTER THIRTY-NINE
  46. CHAPTER FORTY
  47. CHAPTER FORTY-ONE
  48. CHAPTER FORTY-TWO
  49. CHAPTER FORTY-THREE
  50. CHAPTER FORTY-FOUR
  51. CHAPTER FORTY-FIVE
  52. CHAPTER FORTY-SIX
  53. CHAPTER FORTY-SEVEN
  54. CHAPTER FORTY-EIGHT
  55. CHAPTER FORTY-NINE
  56. CHAPTER FIFTY
  57. CHAPTER FIFTY-ONE
  58. CHAPTER FIFTY-TWO
  59. CHAPTER FIFTY-THREE
  60. CHAPTER FIFTY-FOUR
  61. ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
  62. ABOUT THE AUTHOR

As the phone on the counter rang, Joanne turned and walked away. It seemed the subject of the Harpers was not a welcome one.

CHAPTER THIRTEEN

CHAPTER THIRTEEN

Morgan stepped out into the fresh air, pulling her hair back from her face as it was taken by an icy gust. It was a relief to escape Naomi for a while. Her constant pecking was driving her nuts. It was the middle of the day, but Naomi had still been reluctant to let her out on her own. What chance did she have of ever making friends, or getting a date, even? Not that it came easy. Which was why she was grateful that someone had taken an interest in her – even if she was the daughter of a vicar.

‘Got a light?’ Dawn said, pulling a bent-up cigarette from the inside pocket of her dungarees.

‘No . . . sorry,’ Morgan said, taken by surprise. She watched as Dawn patted her pockets, smiling in relief as she found a purple lighter.

‘I thought I’d lost this,’ she said, shoving the thin spear of a roll-up into her mouth. ‘Want one?’

‘Nah, I don’t smoke,’ Morgan said. A lifetime of breathing in her mother’s second-hand fumes had put her off.

‘Hang around here long enough and you will.’ Dawn winked. Her smile made her all the prettier, and Morgan felt her stomach liquify. She watched her take a practised drag on her cigarette and blow out a smoke ring. ‘I buy the tobacco from a mate and make my own. Everyone knows everyone around here. If I get it in the newsagent’s, it’ll get straight back to my dad.’

So that explained why Dawn had dragged Morgan down a quiet side road the second they got outside.

‘You’re hardly a kid,’ Morgan replied. They may have only just met, but already she felt at ease.

‘I know, right?’ Dawn flashed a grin. ‘But you can’t push back. You gotta play them at their own game.’ She eyed Morgan up and down. ‘Your nose ring is proper sick. My dad won’t let me have one. What’s your natural hair colour?’

‘Auburn.’ Morgan slid a dark strand of hair between her fingers. ‘It’s semi-permanent. I’ve been thinking about dyeing it back.’

‘Nice. I like redheads.’ Dawn threw her a cheeky smile.

She paused to take another drag of her cigarette and Morgan stared at her perfect cherry lips. They looked like they’d been painted by Botticelli. Her long brown hair shone with streaks of honey blonde and Morgan wondered if it was her natural colour trying to push through. Her own limp black hair seemed to fade by comparison. It was like comparing ‘The Birth of Venus’ to a ghost. A tumult of emotions stormed inside her, and she dragged her gaze away.